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Annual Report 2024

Research

To perform fundamental research in molecular biology

EMBL’s research aims to understand the basis of life at a molecular level and in the context of different environments.

From genomes to organisms, EMBL explores the secrets of life. Its diverse research programmes push the limits of biological knowledge, with researchers developing innovative techniques and technologies as part of the process.

Seven cross-cutting research themes offered significant, diverse findings and milestones in 2024: Molecular Building Blocks, Multicellular Dynamics, Microbial Ecosystems, Infection Biology, Human Ecosystems, Planetary Biology, and Theory@EMBL.

“This work is a great example of the importance of basic research in the broader context. Basic research helps us understand how biology works, which then translates into new discoveries like novel drugs, advanced treatments, and better opportunities.”

— Olivier Duss, EMBL Heidelberg Group Leader

Molecular Building Blocks

EMBL research delves into cellular function and subcellular components to systematically determine how responses to a changing environment are mediated at the molecular level. Among the many advances in this area this year, scientists created an innovative approach to witness important interactions between molecular machines, potentially offering new opportunities for drug development. At EMBL Grenoble, scientists discovered a previously unheard-of cooperation between two enzymes that helps cells construct new proteins with more precision.

An enzyme with a smart friend

The Kowalinski Group at EMBL Grenoble revealed how one enzyme hitches a ride on another to recognise tRNA – a finding that could help design more precise drugs to slow down tumour growth.

“Our work aims to detail the earliest developmental events in gastruloids by culturing them under minimal conditions. This could reveal previously unknown features of early embryogenesis that cannot be demonstrated from studying only the native embryo.”

— Kerim Anlas, former PhD student at EMBL Barcelona’s Trivedi Group, talking about the importance of a specific kind of organoid made from embryonic cells

Cellular and Multicellular Dynamics

EMBL aims to unravel the impact of genetic and environmental variations in living systems and to understand responses at the single-cell and multicellular levels. Some highlights from 2024 included EMBL scientists discovering how sponges move and what this tells us about how blood vessels evolve. Additionally, EMBL Barcelona scientists produced new findings related to how cells can behave autonomously during early development to determine a body plan.

“Our oceans, soils, rivers – are all teeming with microbes, and understanding these microbiomes could yield valuable insights to help preserve our planetary health. This study shows us that microbial load is an important measure that must be taken into account. Thus, we will work towards translating gut microbiome knowledge to other habitats.”

— Peer Bork, EMBL Group Leader and Interim Director General (April 2025)

Microbial Ecosystems

With an eye towards microbes that impact humans, the aim of this theme is to generate the foundational knowledge that will enable us to rationally modulate human microbial communities towards desired traits and compositions. In 2024, scientists continued intensive work on better understanding gut microbiomes, including implicating gut bacteria in bladder cancer and developing a new machine-learning model that predicts the density of microbes in our guts to demonstrate its role in disease-microbiome associations.

Gut microbes implicated in bladder cancer

Scientists showed experimentally that certain gut bacteria can transform a class of carcinogens, often found in cigarette smoke, into chemicals that accumulate in the bladder and spark tumours.

“We were inspired to study TRIM25 because of its critical role in the body’s innate immune response to RNA viruses, such as influenza or Zika viruses. We found that TRIM25 doesn’t just randomly bind to any RNA. It has specific preferences, which may explain how it efficiently targets regions of viral RNA.”

— Lucía Álvarez, EIPOD4 Postdoctoral Fellow in EMBL Heidelberg’s Hennig Group

Infection Biology

EMBL's Infection Biology theme aims to contribute to research on the biology and mechanisms of infection, as well as on diagnostics and treatment of infectious diseases. This past year's highlights included new insights on how bird flu crosses the species barrier that could help monitor the evolution and adaptability of bird flu strains. Additionally, scientists identified human antibodies that could target the proteins responsible for severe malaria, potentially paving the way for new vaccines or treatments, using organ-on-a-chip technology.

“Our work will be a catalyst for exponential change. In partnership with patients, the resources we are creating can galvanise the work of many other groups. We will reposition important research questions in a better scope, with comprehensive data that represents a global context.”

— Melissa Davis, Director of the Institute of Translational Genomic Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine, on the SAMBAI project in collaboration with EMBL-EBI’s Cortes-Ciriano Team

Human Ecosystems

Within this theme, EMBL scientists use rapidly expanding human datasets to explore the gene-environment interplay and its effects on human phenotypes. In 2024, EMBL-EBI was part of an international team of researchers that combined social determinants of health with genomics, immune profiling, and exposomics data to study cancer disparities in recent African heritage populations. Additionally, EMBL Rome researchers found that disrupted gut microbiomes in male mice could increase disease risks to future offspring – the first time scientists ever observed a paternal gut microbiome affecting the next generation.

“TREC has been a huge success from all perspectives: discovery-driven research, cutting-edge services, public engagement, political engagement, and tremendous networking opportunities for scientists across disciplines. It has brought to the forefront the importance of scientific research and its role in addressing global challenges.”

— Edith Heard, EMBL Director General (January 2019–March 2025)

Planetary Biology

This research theme aims to understand – from molecule to population levels – how microbes, plants, and animals respond to each other and their environment. To this end, its flagship project, TREC, concluded its sampling in 2024 and began generating, analysing, and integrating data in the lab – the next phase of this work. Other researchers applied cutting-edge techniques such as expansion microscopy to gain insights into different modes of cell division that animals and fungi have used to support diverse life cycles. Additionally, using a library of 1,000+ agrochemicals, scientists applied an arsenal of approaches (e.g., AI, proteomics, and computational biology) to observe significant changes in the behaviour and long-term survival of different insect populations.

The impact of TREC

In less than two years, the TREC expedition demonstrated that large-scale international collaboration is essential to drive groundbreaking planetary and human health research with societal impact.

Exploring diversity in cell division

New research by EMBL scientists showed how different modes of cell division used by animals and fungi might have evolved to support diverse life cycles.

“Theoretical models like these provide us with a means to not only understand biological systems but also to uncover the universal principles that underlie many such processes, allowing us to apply them to diverse phenomena and systems.”

— Anna Erzberger, EMBL Heidelberg Group Leader

Theory@EMBL

EMBL’s theory research programme promotes theory-guided paths to discovering, understanding, and conceptualising the underlying principles of complex and dynamic biological systems at all scales, from molecules to organisms to ecosystems. This guidance helped our scientists to unveil how cells can behave autonomously during early development. Also in 2024, a theoretical model involving tiny Minecraft-like cubes was applied to understand dynamic biological processes, such as cell sorting in embryos.

EMBL Research in Numbers

Collaborative scientific publications

In 2024, EMBL researchers produced 675 publications, mostly in collaboration with scientists within EMBL member or associate member states, as shown on this chart.

675 publications, mostly in collaboration with scientists within EMBL member or associate member states, as shown on this chart. 59 by EMBL 604 by EMBL in collaboration with organisations in member or associate member states 12 by EMBL in collaboration with organisations in non-member state locations only

Collaborative grants

Beyond EMBL’s member state funding, external grants support activities often done in collaboration with scientists beyond EMBL. These charts broadly break down the type of grants EMBL held in 2024. 

Pie chart showing: 473 grants: research grants: 292 infrastructure grants: 158 training and outreach grants: 23 [Numbers and text for doughnut chart key] 171 by EMBL 267 by EMBL in collaboration with organisations in member or associate member states 35 by EMBL in collaboration with organisations in non-member states only

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